Gesundheit (
German pronunciation (help·info)) (
IPA pronunciation: [ɡəˈzʊntˈhaıt]) is the
German and
Yiddish word for
health. When a person
sneezes, German and Yiddish speakers typically say
Gesundheit! to wish them good health. This expression has found its way into the
English language via Yiddish speaking
Ashkenazi Jews (
gezundheit) who immigrated in large masses to the United States during the early
twentieth century. It is sometimes used instead of the more common "
bless you".
Often the word, when used in an English context, is mispronounced as [ɡəˈzʊnˈtaıd] or [ɡəˈzʊnˈtaıt], and misspelled as "gazoontite" or "gazoontide".